Wasp, hornet, and yellowjacket spray repellant and nest pesticide

ABSTRACT

Methods for killing insects and a nest are disclosed. The methods may be used to disrupt a colony of nest-dwelling insects. The insects may include wasps, hornets, and yellowjackets.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/250,707, filed Sep. 30, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/392,369, filed Oct. 12, 2010. Bothapplications are fully incorporated herein expressly by reference.

BACKGROUND

Conventional insecticides kill insects by coming in contact with theinsect. Many insecticides work by interfering with the insect's nervoussystem, leading to death of the insect. Insecticides can fall into anumber of broad, compound categories, including organochlorinecompounds, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethrins. Manyorganochlorine insecticides have been banned in the U.S. due to theirpersistence in the environment and their carcinogenicity. The resistanceto biodegradation may contribute to the accumulation of organochlorinetoxins in humans by introduction into the food chain or throughcontamination of drinking water sources. Organophosphate and carbamateinsecticides have largely replaced organochlorine insecticides. Thetoxicity to humans can vary significantly between the differentcompounds in these classes. Compared to organochlorine compounds,however, organophosphates and carbamates generally do not bioaccumulateand are less of a concern in the contamination of water.Organophosphates and carbamates, however, can be poisonous and haveadverse health effects on humans either through inhalation, absorptionthrough the skin or accidental ingestion. Pyrethrins are naturalinsecticides derived from species of Chrysanthemum plants. Theirtoxicity to humans may be considered less of a risk thanorganophosphates or carbamates. The search for even less toxic,effective insecticides has led to the development of “insecticides” thatkill insects through nontoxic means, such as attracting the insectswithin a trap, where the insects die of starvation or through drowningin water. Nevertheless, even with the introduction of generally nontoxicmeans for killing insects, a need still exists for additional means orsubstances that may be used in the control of insects.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a method for killing insects with various developmentstages residing in a nest is disclosed. The method includes applying acomposition on or in proximity to an active nest, wherein thecomposition is not only effective to kill insects through contact orfumigation but, even more importantly, also to repel insects (notdirectly contacted by/with the composition) bringing food to the nestfor a sufficient period to kill the larvae, interrupt the trophallaxisactivity of the adult insects, and destroy the nest. The compositionsdisclosed herein include natural compounds that are responsible fordisrupting a colony of nest-dwelling insects, and killing the nest.

In one embodiment, the method may further include spraying thecomposition on the nest.

In one embodiment, the method may further include spraying thecomposition to interrupt and/or stop the alarm pheromone release orresponse of the adult insects and, therefore, reduce the aggressivenessof the stinging adults and, ultimately, reduce the risk of being stung.

In one embodiment, the composition includes an essential oil.

In one embodiment, the composition includes an essential oil selectedfrom the group consisting of anise oil, castor oil, cedar oil, cinnamonoil, citronella oil, clove oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, fennel seedoil, garlic oil, geranium oil, lavender oil, lemongrass oil, linseedoil, mint oil, patchouli oil, pennyroyal oil, peppermint oil, Romanchamomile oil, rosemary oil, sage oil, sesame oil, soybean oil,spearmint oil, thyme oil, wintergreen oil, and ylang ylang oil, or anycombination thereof.

In one embodiment, the composition includes a compound selected from thegroup consisting of I-menthone, P-menthone, eugenol, E-citral, Z-citral,pulegone, α-thujone, β-thujone, methyl benzoate, d-carvone, methylsalicylate, E/Z-nepetalactone, Z/E-nepetalactone, 3-octanol, benzylacetate, and citronellal, or any combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the composition comprises at least one of lemongrassoil and clove oil.

In one embodiment, the composition comprises lemongrass oil and clove.

In one embodiment, the composition comprises lemongrass oil, clove oil,mineral oil, isopropyl alcohol, and isopropyl myristate.

In one embodiment, the composition comprises lemongrass oil, clove oil,rosemary oil and geranium oil.

In one embodiment, the composition comprises lemongrass oil, clove oil,geranium oil and mineral oil, isopropyl alcohol, and isopropylmyristate.

In one embodiment, the composition comprises lemongrass oil, clove oil,rosemary oil, geranium oil and mineral oil, isopropyl alcohol, andisopropyl myristate.

In one embodiment, the composition further includes a propellant,including carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons, propane,n-butane, isobutane, or any hydrofluoroalkane.

In one embodiment, the method further includes applying the compositionto the inside of the nest via the entrance hole(s), especially to theunderground nests.

In one embodiment, the method includes applying the composition to anaerial nest or ground nest.

In one embodiment, the method further includes applying the compositionto the inside of open cells which comprise the nest.

In one embodiment, the method further includes applying the compositionto the outside of the aerial nest with live insects.

In one embodiment, the insects are the larvae, pupae or adults of wasps,yellowjackets, or hornets.

In another embodiment, a method for disrupting a nest-dwelling colony ofinsects is disclosed. The method includes applying a composition on orinside or in proximity to a nest; and with the composition, repellinginsects from the nest for an effective period to cause the insects toabandon the nest, wherein the composition comprises lemongrass oil andclove oil. The method includes repelling insects from the nest andparticularly the insects that have not been contacted by or with thecomposition. The composition may further include rosemary oil, geraniumoil, a carrier, a propellant gas, isopropyl alcohol, isopropylmyristate, and mineral oil. Unlike other methods or compositions, themethods and compositions disclosed herein have the advantage that theydo not need to be applied directly on the insects to be effective indisrupting an entire colony.

The disclosed method provides an effective multiple functional/modality(both insecticidal and non-toxic) means for controlling insects thatrelies on natural substances to not only kill or fumigate but alsodisrupt or block the olfactory system and further interrupt the lifecycle of insects by depriving larvae of food by repelling the adultinsects from the nest. As a result, the larvae in the nests fail tomature into adult insects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

During the autumn and winter months, many insect colonies die off,leaving only the mated queens, which must then leave the nest and find asuitable habitat to hibernate for the winter. After winter, the queenswill emerge from hibernation to start a new colony. The life cycle of atypical nesting insect will begin with the queen building a nest. Thequeen gathers cellulose materials in the environment, such as bark, deadgrass, etc. The queen mixes the materials with saliva and uses themixture to start forming the nest. A nest will typically have cells inwhich the queen will lay her first eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae,which the queen will nurture and feed until the larvae develop intoworker insects. The worker insects will continue building the nest whilethe queen continues to lay eggs. The worker insects will also gatherfood for the queen and the developing larvae. Eventually, the nest maygrow to include hundreds of cells with each one potentially having anegg or a larva. The larvae need food to grow into adult insects. Adultinsects bring the food to the larvae. Larvae in return secrete a sugarmaterial relished by the adults in a trophallaxis fashion.

The present disclosure is related to a method of killing insects (bothlarvae and adults) in the nest without the use of toxic chemicals. Acomposition is disclosed that uses natural substances as actives fordisrupting a colony of nest-dwelling insects. The method of using thecomposition does not rely on, and indeed it is not necessary for, thecomposition to be applied directly on insects to be effective. Thecomposition may be applied on or in proximity of a nest. The compositionis effective in repelling insects from the nest, thereby killingimmature larvae in the nest. Additionally, insects that do happen to becontacted by the composition may be knocked down and killed quickly dueto suffocation.

In one embodiment, a method for killing insects is based on theprinciple that larvae in the nest are vulnerable during this earlyperiod in their life cycle since they depend on worker insects to bringfood to the nest. The disclosed method is effective in killing thelarvae in the nest. The feeding cycle of larvae can be disrupted byapplying a dose of a composition on or inside the nest or in theimmediate proximity of the nest. The compositions disclosed herein areeffective to repel the adult insects (mostly workers) bringing food tothe nest. As a result, the insect larvae will die from lack of food. Thecomposition may be applied directly on or inside the nest or in theproximity to the nest. The composition may be applied in sufficientquantities to saturate the nest. The composition may be applied on theinside of the cells if they are open or on the outside of the cells ifthey are closed. One application may suffice to repel the insects for asufficient period of time to kill the larvae and the colony. However, inother embodiments, the composition may be applied multiple times over anextended period of time.

In one embodiment, a composition is used in the disruption of the growthof the larvae, effectively killing the larvae and the nest with the useof natural chemicals in a non-toxic mode of action. While it may not bepossible to directly apply the composition to the larvae, nonetheless,the larvae are killed indirectly through starvation when the adults arerepelled from the nest. The same composition is useful in also knockingdown and killing insects that are directly contacted with thecomposition. The killing of the larvae through the application ofnatural substances that repel adult insects from the nest provides anon-toxic and effective means of controlling insects. The composition isalso effective in disrupting and/or deterring the feeding activityand/or life cycle of the adult workers. Adult insects, similar tolarvae, feed at the nest. Accordingly, the method in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention is effective in also disrupting and/ordeterring the feeding activity of the adult worker insects.Additionally, the queen in the nest is also deprived of food that wouldnormally be brought by the worker adult insects. The feeding activity ofthe queen insect is likewise disrupted and/or deterred in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention. Because neither the queen nor theadult workers feed, this can negatively affect the overall activity ofthe nest, thus resulting in fewer insects and eventually the nest willdie off.

A further benefit is the added safety when applying the disclosedcomposition. When applied on or in proximity to the nest, thecomposition acts as a repellent to deter insects from returning to thenest. However, during the application process, a concern with manypesticides is the aggressive reaction that is evoked in the stinginginsects caused by the release of alarm pheromones. The disclosedcomposition is beneficial in that it strongly diminishes the aggressivebehavior of the insects by stopping or interrupting alarm pheromonerelease or response, or both. Such volatile repellent composition mayeven block the olfactory (sensory) system of the adult insects.Accordingly, the composition may reduce the risk of being stung by theinsects during the spray application.

The compositions that may be used in the methods disclosed hereininclude one or more essential oils or their constituent compounds. Theessential oils and their constituent compounds are derived from plantsand other sources found in nature. The compositions are also meant toinclude synthetically manufactured compounds as long as the chemicalstructure and formulations are identical or substantially similar to thecompound found in nature. The composition may also include inerts, suchas carriers, surfactants, and propellants.

In one embodiment, the composition includes essential oils as the activeingredients. The essential oil(s) may be selected from the groupconsisting of anise oil, castor oil, cedar oil, cinnamon oil, citronellaoil, clove oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, fennel seed oil, garlic oil,geranium oil, lavender oil, lemongrass oil, linseed oil, mint oil,patchouli oil, pennyroyal oil, peppermint oil, Roman chamomile oil,rosemary oil, sage oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, spearmint oil, thymeoil, wintergreen oil, and ylang ylang oil, or any combination thereof.

Each of the essential oils above may include hundreds of compounds. Theactive compounds identified as repellents in one or more of the abovelist of essential oils may also be used in the compositions disclosedherein. The active compounds include, but are not limited to, thecompounds selected from the group consisting of I-menthone, P-menthone,eugenol, E-citral, Z-citral, pulegone, α-thujone, β-thujone, methylbenzoate, d-carvone, methyl salicylate, E/Z-nepetalactone,Z/E-nepetalactone, 3-octanol, benzyl acetate, citronellal, or anycombination thereof. The compositions may include anyone of thecompounds found in the above-referenced essential oils in an isolatedform together with essential oils. For example, an isolated compound canbe combined with one or more essential oils. An isolated compound refersto a compound that has been separated from an essential oil orsynthesized independently without extracting the compound from anessential oil. An isolated compound may be a purified compound. However,it is to be understood that depending on the purification method, tracecompounds may still be present.

The compositions can be delivered through various means including anaerosolized spray, powder, or liquid. When used in a spray, a propellantmay optionally be included. The propellant can include, but is notlimited to, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons, suchas propane, n-butane, isobutane, and hydrofluoroalkanes. In the sprayembodiments disclosed herein, any one or more of the propellants may beincluded. Other spray means can use spray mechanisms, such as pump ortrigger sprayers, and other manually activated pump mechanisms.

In one embodiment, a composition includes lemongrass oil, clove oil,isopropyl alcohol, isopropyl myristate, mineral oil, and optionally apropellant, such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen.

Lemongrass oil is extracted from one of numerous species of grassesbelonging to the genus Cymbopogon. Clove oil is extracted from the treespecies Syzygium aromaticum. Isopropyl alcohol is used as a solvent forthe oils in the composition. Other alcohols and solvents besidesisopropyl alcohol may be used. Isopropyl myristate is a surfactant.Mineral oil is a carrier.

In one embodiment, the lemongrass oil in the composition includes from1% by weight to 2.5% by weight based on the total weight of thecomposition. In one embodiment, the concentration of clove oil in thecomposition includes from 1% by weight to 2.5% by weight based on thetotal weight of the composition. In one embodiment, the concentration ofisopropyl alcohol in the composition includes from 10% by weight to 30%by weight, preferably 20% by weight, all based on the total weight ofthe composition. In another embodiment, isopropyl alcohol can be omittedfrom the composition. In one embodiment, the concentration of isopropylmyristate includes from 16% by weight to 40% by weight based on thetotal weight of the composition. However, in another embodiment, theisopropyl myristate can be omitted from the composition. In oneembodiment, the mineral oil concentration in the composition includesfrom 31.5% by weight to 91.5% by weight based on the total weight of thecomposition. In one embodiment, the concentration of carbon dioxidepropellant in the composition is approximately 3.5% by weight. In oneembodiment, rosemary oil may be used with lemongrass oil and clove oil.In one embodiment, geranium oil may be used with lemongrass oil andclove oil.

In one embodiment, the composition includes about 2.5% lemongrass oil,about 2.5% clove oil, about 20% isopropyl alcohol, about 40% isopropylmyristate, about 31.5% mineral oil, and optionally a propellant, such asabout 3.5% carbon dioxide or nitrogen. All percents are weight percentsbased on the total weight of the composition.

In one embodiment, the composition includes about 2.5% lemongrass oil,about 2.5% clove oil, about 91.5% mineral oil, and optionally apropellant, such as about 3.5% carbon dioxide or nitrogen. All percentsare weight percents based on the total weight of the composition.

In one embodiment, the composition includes about 1% lemongrass oil,about 1% clove oil, about 20% isopropyl alcohol, about 16% isopropylmyristate, about 58.5% mineral oil, and optionally a propellant, such asabout 3.5% carbon dioxide or nitrogen. All percents are weight percentsbased on the total weight of the composition.

In one embodiment, the composition includes about 2% lemongrass oil,about 2% clove oil, about 20% isopropyl alcohol, about 16% isopropylmyristate, about 56.5% mineral oil, and, optionally, a propellant, suchas about 3.5% carbon dioxide or nitrogen. All percents are weightpercents based on the total weight of the composition.

In one embodiment, the composition includes about 1.5% lemongrass oil,about 1.5% clove oil, about 1% geranium oil, about 20% isopropylalcohol, about 16% isopropyl myristate, about 56.5% mineral oil, and,optionally, a propellant, such as about 3.5% carbon dioxide or nitrogen.All percents are weight percents based on the total weight of thecomposition.

In one embodiment, the composition includes about 1.5% lemongrass oil,about 1.5% clove oil, about 1% rosemary oil, about 20% isopropylalcohol, about 16% isopropyl myristate, about 56.5% mineral oil, and,optionally, a propellant, such as about 3.5% carbon dioxide or nitrogen.All percents are weight percents based on the total weight of thecomposition.

In one embodiment, the composition includes about 1% lemongrass oil,about 1% clove oil, about 1% geranium oil, about 1% rosemary oil, about20% isopropyl alcohol, about 16% isopropyl myristate, about 56.5%mineral oil, and optionally a propellant, such as about 3.5% carbondioxide or nitrogen. All percents are weight percents based on the totalweight of the composition.

In one embodiment, the composition includes about 1.99% lemongrass oil,about 1.99% clove oil, about 0.01% geranium oil, about 0.01% rosemaryoil, about 20% isopropyl alcohol, about 16% isopropyl myristate, about56.5% mineral oil, and, optionally, a propellant, such as about 3.5%carbon dioxide or nitrogen.

In one embodiment, the composition includes about 2% lemongrass oil,about 2% clove oil, about 0.01% geranium oil, about 0.01% rosemary oil,about 20% isopropyl alcohol, about 16% isopropyl myristate, about 56.5%mineral oil, and, optionally, a propellant, such as about 3.5% carbondioxide or nitrogen.

In one embodiment, the compositions may be used on any nest-dwellinginsects or for disrupting a nest-dwelling colony of insects. In oneembodiment, the insects may be from the order Hymenoptera andspecifically from the family Vespidae, commonly referred to as paperwasps, yellowjackets, and hornets.

In some embodiments, an insect is selected from the group consisting ofpaper wasps, yellowjackets, and hornets, or any combination thereof.Representative examples of insects that are repelled or killed by thecompositions include Polistes annularis; P. apaches; P. aurifer (GoldenPaper Wasp); P. bellicosus; P. carolina; P. dominula (European PaperWasp); P. dorsalis; P. exclamans; P. fuscatus; P. metricus; P.perplexus); Vespula acadica Sladen; V. atropilosa Sladen (PrairieYellowjacket); V. austriaca Panzer; V. consobrina Saussure(Blackjacket); V. flavopilosa Jakobson (Transition Yellowjacket); V.germanica Fabricius (German Yellowjacket); V. maculifrons Buysson(Eastern Yellowjacket); V. pensylvanica Saussure (Western Yellowjacket);V. squamosa Drury (Southern Yellowjacket); V. sulphurea Saussure(California Yellowjacket); V. vidua Saussure (Forest Yellowjacket); V.vulgaris Linnaeus (Common Yellowjacket); Dolichovespula arenariaFabricius (Aerial Yellowjackets); D. maculata Linnaeus (Bald-facedHornet); D. norvegicoides Sladen (Arctic Yellowjacket); Vespa crabroLinnaeus (European Hornet); V. mandarinia Smith (Asian Giant Hornet);and V. orientalis Linnaeus (Oriental Hornet). Any combination of theseinsects is contemplated.

In one embodiment, any one or more of the essential oils and compoundscan be combined to repel any insect species. In another embodiment, anyone or more of the essential oils and compounds can be combined to repela single insect species selected from any insect species belonging tothe order Hymenoptera. In another embodiment, any one or more of theessential oils and compounds can be combined to repel a limited group ofinsect species belonging to the order Hymenoptera. In anotherembodiment, any one or more of the essential oils and compounds can becombined to repel a single insect species selected from the familyVespidae. In another embodiment, any one or more of the essential oilsand compounds can be combined to repel a limited group of insect speciesbelonging to the family Vespidae. In another embodiment, any one or moreof the essential oils and compounds can be combined to repel a singleinsect species belonging to the family Vespidae. In another embodiment,any one or more of the essential oils and compounds can be combined torepel a single insect species selected from any insect species belongingto the subfamily Polistinae. In another embodiment, any one or more ofthe essential oils and compounds can be combined to repel a limitedgroup of insect species belonging to the subfamily Polistinae. Inanother embodiment, the essential oils and compounds can be combined torepel the group of insects, including wasps, yellowjackets, and hornets.In the above embodiments, any one or more of the essential oils andcompounds can be combined to repel a targeted species of insect or alimited group of insect species, while not repelling other speciesoutside the target. While the mention of certain insect orders andfamilies are disclosed as being repelled or killed by the essential oilsand compounds disclosed herein, it should not be construed to limit thepresent invention to repelling insects from any particular order orfamily, since the claims will define the scope of the invention.Accordingly, the compositions may be used to repel or kill any insect.

While the ability to disrupt a colony of nest-dwelling insects is acharacteristic of the compositions, the compositions may also be used todirectly kill insects. The compositions may effectively suffocateinsects by coating them with the composition, such that the insect isimmobilized and can be dead within seconds or minutes. Accordingly, inone embodiment, the composition is an insecticidal composition. Thecomposition is effective to kill any insects that are directly contactedwith the composition. The composition may suffocate the insects that arecoated with the composition.

The disclosed compositions, including essential oils, may be used invarious insect control methods. In one embodiment, the composition maybe sprayed on or in proximity to the nest. In such case, the compositionmay immediately knockdown and subsequently kill the insects that weredirectly contacted by the composition. The composition is readilyabsorbed by the nest material so that the composition persists in thenest, and renders the nest unattractive to any insects attempting toreturn to the nest. The duration of the composition as an effectiverepellent can be greater than 1 day. However, the repellency effectdepends on the amount of any one application. Applications may berepeated daily, or when a greater number of insects are seen around thenest after an initial application. At some point, by continuing therepellency effect, the insects will not return to the nest, effectivelykilling the nest and disrupting the colony.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Laboratory Efficacy Tests

Four composition formulations (A, B, C, D in Table 1 below) were testedin lab cup bioassay trials on different social wasp species against adeionized (DI) water control.

TABLE 1 WHY spray formulations tested in lab cup bioassays Formulations(% by Wt) CAS # Composition A B C D 8007-02-1 Lemongrass Oil 2.5 2 1 28015-97-2 Clove Oil 2.5 2 1 2 8000-25-7 Rosemary Oil 0 0 1 0.018016-45-3 Geranium Oil 0 0 1 0.01 67-63-0 Isopropyl Alcohol 20 20 20 20110-27-0 Isopropyl Myristate 40 16 16 16 8042-47-5 Mineral oil 31.5 56.556.5 56.5 CO2 or N2 Propellant 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Sum 100 100 100 100

All the lab tests were conducted at Sterling International, Inc. inSpokane Valley, Wash. Each test required the placement of live insectsinside plastic disposable cups (size 9 OZ=266 ml). The cups were coveredwith a mesh netting material via rubber band and suspended in a mannerabout 5 feet from the ground using a clear acrylic panel with holes cutapproximately 27 cm apart into it to hold 3 cups on their side. Therewere 10 live insects placed into each cup which equaled a total of 30insects tested for each formulation treatment or DI water control. Fromapproximately 1 meter away, the testing scientist sprayed the cup 5times trying to coat the entire cup with spray using a trigger spraybottle for DI water or pressurized can for treatment. Then, whiletiming, another scientist would observe and record the knockdown(falling to the “ground” or immobilized) and mortality effect of thesprays tested at 30 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10minutes. Each spray would be replicated on the three cups at the sametime with the same species of insects. The tested insects and cups wouldthen be discarded after the spray was tested and new cups with newinsects would be tested on the next spray formulation or DI watercontrol. The acrylic panels were also washed off thoroughly betweentreatments so there would be no cross contamination between treatments.

TABLE 2 Mean % (n = 3) of knockdown and mortality of social wasps aftersprayed with different formulations of WHY sprays and DI water control %(at 30 sec) % at 1 min % at 3 min % at 5 min % at 10 min Social waspKnock Knock Knock Knock Knock species Sprays down Mortality downMortality down Mortality down Mortality down Mortality Dolichovespula A100 0 100 13 100 97 100 100 100 100 maculata B 100 0 100 29 100 100 100100 100 100 (Baldfaced DI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 hornet) water Vespula B 960 100 41 100 89 100 100 100 100 germanica C 60 0 97 53 100 90 100 97 100100 (German DI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 yellowjacket) water Polistes D 100100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 dominulus DI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0(European paper water wasp) Dolichovespula D 100 100 100 100 100 100 100100 100 100 arenaria DI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Aerial water yellowjacket)

In the lab tests, all the DI water controls showed zero knockdown ormortality effect on all the tested yellowjacket and paper wasp speciesduring the 10 minute testing periods (Table 2). However, sprayformulations A, B and C resulted in 60-100% knockdowns within 30 sec.,and killed 97-100% of tested social wasps within 5 min, and obtained100% mortality within 10 min. Interestingly, the spray formulation D wasable to knock down and kill all the tested paper wasps and yellowjacketswithin 30 sec.

Example 2 Field Spray Tests on Live Baldfaced Hornet (Dolichovespulamaculata) Nests

Three live Baldfaced hornet nests were tested with formulations A and Bsprays in 2010.

Nest #1:

At approximately 11:00 am on Aug. 17, 2010, an active, football-sizebaldfaced hornet nest was sprayed with one can of the spray formulationA (see Table 1 for details) in Millvale, Wash. It was sprayed untilthere were no more D. maculata leaving the nest or not very muchactivity around the nest. This nest was left alone until approximately5:00 pm on the same day when it was observed for activity. There was noactivity of hornets leaving and little activity of hornets returning tothe nest. A few D. maculata that were foraging earlier that day when thenest was sprayed were observed trying to return to the nest. Thesereturning baldfaced hornets would get approximately a few inches awayfrom the nest, but fly away never to land on the nest being repelledaway by the spray. On Aug. 18, 2010, the nest was observed atapproximately 4:20 pm. The nest had the same observations as the priorday when it was checked. There were no baldfaced hornets returning orleaving the nest. They would not land on the nest showing repellency tothe spray though a few were still flying around in the vicinity of thenest. It was observed that a few of these foragers were congregating ina tree not far from the nest. The observations showed the nest waskilled due to no activity of hornets seen leaving or returning. It wasalso concluded that the formulation A spray showed a repellency effectto the nest for >29 hours.

Nest #2:

At approximately 8:30 pm on Aug. 25, 2010, an active, football-sizebaldfaced hornet nest was sprayed with a can of the spray formulation B(see Table 1 for details) in Spokane, Wash. It was sprayed until therewere no more D. maculata leaving the nest and very little activity fromreturning baldfaced hornets around the nest. It was observed that thebaldfaced hornets would not land on the nest after it was sprayed withthe formulation B. The nest was removed after it was killed and cut opento count the D. maculata present inside that were killed; the number ofcells inside the nest (maximum size); the larvae remaining at this timeof year; and the pupae remaining at this time of year. This nest hadthree tiers on the inside. There were 286 D. maculata adults killedinside the nest with only 9 barely alive ones that would not havesurvived because of the entrance hole being blocked by the deadspray-covered baldfaced hornets. The nest consisted of a total of 1738cells of which there were 990 empty, 258 larvae, and 490 pupae. Theobservations showed the nest was killed with no activity of hornetsleaving and very few baldfaced hornets trying to return and withoutlanding or entering the nest. The repellency effect was observed as thenest was being sprayed and shortly after while removing the nest.

Nest #3:

At approximately 10:00 am on Sep. 10, 2010, an active, basketball-sizebaldfaced hornet nest was sprayed with the spray formulation B inSpokane Valley, Wash. It was sprayed until there were no more D.maculata leaving the nest and little activity of returning hornets tothe nest. It was observed that the baldfaced hornets would not land onthe nest after it was sprayed with the formulation. The nest was removedafter it was killed and cut open for observations of the inside. Thenest contained four tiers. There were 164 D. maculata adults killedinside the nest, which consisted of 21 females and 143 males. The nestcontained of an estimated total of 2565 cells of which approximately2458 were empty, 20 were larvae, and 87 were pupae. The observationsshowed the nest was killed with no activity of hornets leaving and veryfew baldfaced hornets returning to the nest. The insects that did returnwere not landing or entering the nest. The repellency effect was notedas the nest was being sprayed and shortly after it was sprayed whileconducting the removal from its location.

While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, itwill be appreciated that various changes can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. An insecticidal composition, consisting essentially of: about 2% byweight lemongrass oil; about 2% by weight clove oil; about 0.01% byweight rosemary oil; and about 0.01% by weight geranium oil.
 2. Aninsecticidal composition, comprising: about 2% by weight lemongrass oil;about 2% by weight clove oil; about 0.01% by weight rosemary oil; andabout 0.01% by weight geranium oil.
 3. The composition of claim 2,further comprising isopropyl alcohol, isopropyl myristate, mineral oil,and nitrogen.